Street-railway switch.



No. 629,265. Patented July [8, |899..

C. & MORAN. STREET RAILWAY SWITCH.

. (Appficstion filed May a, 1899.)

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- drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in street-railway-oper UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CATHERINE MORAN AND AUGUSTA MORAN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

STREET-RAILWAY SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters resent No. 629,265, dated July 18, 1899. Application filed May 8,1899. Serial No. 715,969. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that we, CATHERINE MORAN- sylvania, have invented certain new and use-' f ul Improvements in Street-Railway Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying ating mechanism; and it has for its object to provide novel means for operating the switch direct from the car-platform without the necessity of stopping the car either before throwing the switch or after the same has been operated.

Briefly described, our invention consists of two spring-actuated levers which are pivotally supported from the carplatform and form a grip adapted to engage with the switchtongue to operate the same in the direction desired. A laterally: moving lever is connected to the same shaft upon which the gripping-levers are mounted to operate this shaft and cause the gripping-levers to move the switch-tougher The gripping-levers are held normally at an incline, in order that when not in use theirlower or gripping ends will be suspended some distance above the track. .When it is desired to throw the switch, however, these gripping-levers are moved to the vertical position, the upper ends. are forced together, and. the lower end con sequently separated, so as to allow the switchtongue to pass between the same.

Various other novel features of construction are contained in our invention, and all ating mechanism in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a front view ofa part of the car with the dashboard partly broken away and the platform partly in section, showing the switchoperating mechanism in position. .Fig. 3 is a perspective View of our improved switchoperating mechanism detached from the car. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a part of one of the gripping-levers. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the hanger to which the gripping-levers are pivotally attached. Figs. 6

and 7 are detail plan views of the same.

Referring now to the drawings by reference-numerals, 1 indicates the car-platform, which is provided at a point where it will come directly over the switch-tongue with an opening 2. Secured on the upper face of the platform, at each side of the'opening 2, is a pair of brackets 3 and 4, in which is mounted a laterally-movableshaft 5, having mounted thereon, between the brackets 3 andd, a pair of gripping-levers 6 6, which are held nor.- mally in-the form of a V and are. retained in this position by means of a hanger 7, mounted on the laterally-movable shaft 5 and provided with ears or lugs 8 8, extendingon each side thereof and to which the gripping-levers 6 6 are pivotally attached at a point below the laterally-moving shaft 5 The bracket 4 is provided on iits upper face with a lug 9, which has pivotally connected thereto the bifurcated endof the operatinglever 10, this bifurcated end ofsaid'lever nected thereto, in order to move the said shaft and cause the gripping-levers to shift the switch-tongue when the said lever 10 is operated.

' Arranged upon the shaft 5, between the hanger 7 and the inner face of each gripping lever, are tension-springs 11 for the purpose of retaining the lower ends of these grippinglevers inengagement with each other when not in use, and arranged upon the shaft, between the onter faces of the gripping-levers 6 6 and the inner faces of the lugs 3 and 4:, respectively, are like tension springs 12 12, preferably given a less tension than the springs 11 11 and which are adapted to retain the position between the lugs 3 and 4.

' tongue.

' For the purpose of holding the lower ends of the' gripping-levers normally above the track when not in use we attach to the upper end of the hanger 7 and to the platform 1 a stiif coil-spring 14, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings;

The levers 6 G and the lever 10 are each preferably provided with suitable handles 15, as shown.

The operation of our improved switch-operating mechanism is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in position upon the car, as shown in the drawings, the operator upon approachin g the switch-tongue grasps the lovers 6 6 and forces the same forwardly of the car, at the same time pressing the upper ends of these two levers together, so as to compress the springs 11 l1 and separate the lower ends of the gripping-lev ers in orderto allow them to pass when in the vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2, one on either side of the switch- The operator then releases the handles of the gripping-levers 6 (3, allowing the tension-springs 11 11 to force the grippinglevers 6 6 into engagement with the sides of the switch-tongue, at which time the operator grasps the lever 10, and shifting the same laterally, either to the right or left, according to the manner in which it is desired to throw the switch-tongue, operates the shaft 5 and causes the gripping-levers to move the switch-tongue to the desired position. As the car moves forward and these gripping-levers 6 6 pass out of engagement with the sides of the switchtongue the springs 11 11 close the grippinglevers together at their lower ends and the springs 12 12 shift the same to their normal position upon the shaft 5, so as to be in position when desired for use at the next switch. The spring 14 returns the gripping-levers to their normal inclination in order to elevate the lower ends of the same above the track when the pressure on the upper ends of these gripping-levers is relieved.

It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. I11 a switch-operating mechanism, the combination with a car-platform, of a laterally-movable shaft arranged thereon, a pair of gripping-levers mounted on said shaft and adapted to engage the switch-tongue, and a lever pivotally connected to saidshaft for operating the same to move the switch-tongue, substantially as described.

2. In a switch-operating mechanism, the combination with a car-platform provided with an opening and having a pair of brackets mounted thereon, a laterally-movable shaft mounted in said brackets, a pair of grippinglevers mounted on said shaft and extending through the opening in the platform to engage the switoh-tongue, and an'operatinglever pivotally connected to said shaft for operating the same to move the switch-tongue, substantially as described.

3. In a switch-operating mechanism, the combination with a car-platform, of a laterally-movable shaft arranged on said platform a pair of gripping-levers mounted on said shaft and adapted to engage the switchtongue, a hanger mounted on the shaft and pivotally connected to said gripping-levers, and means connected to said shaft for operating the same to move the switch-tongue, substantially as described.

t. A switch-operating mechanism comprising in combination, alaterally-movable shaft, a pair of gripping-levers mountedon said shaft, a hanger mounted on the shaft and pivotally connected to the grippinglevers, springs arranged upon the shaft between the hanger and the gripping-levers, and an operating=lever pivotally connected to said laterally-movingshaft for operating the same, substantially as described.

5. In a switch-operating mechanism, the combination of a laterally-movable shaft, a pair of gripping-levers mounted thereon, a hanger mounted on the shaft and pivotally connected to the gripping-levers, a lever pivotally connected to the shaft for operating the same, and means for retaining the lower ends of said gripping-levers normally in engagement with each other, substantially as described. v

6. In a switch-operating mechanism, the combination of a laterally-movable shaft, a pair of gripping-levers mounted thereon, a hanger mounted on the shaft and pivotally connected to the gripping-levers, a lever pivotally connected to said shaft for operating the same, means for retaining the lower ends of the gripping-levers normally in engagement with each other, and means for retainin g the gripping-levers normally at an incline to the operating-lever, substantially as described.

'7. A switch-operatingmechanisnrcomprising in combination with a car-platform, a pair of spring-pressed laterally-movable gripping-levers supported therefrom, and means for operating said levers to move the switchtongue, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

CATHERINE MORAN. AUGUSTA MORAN.

WVitnesses:

F. L. ROBERTS, H. GLENN SAMPLE. 

